PAKA Women’s Mayu Jacket Review: Legit Ultralight Insulated Layer?

I have a few types of products that fold up, compress and get “smaller” for travel and for packing. And a jacket is one of the things that tends to take up the most space in my bags, especially if I want to be prepared with layers.

Paka Apparel’s Packable Insulated Mayu Jacket packs up into a little square, and it’s an ultralight insulated windbreaker or layer for trips of all types.

In this review, I am discussing the fit and feel of this jacket in the women’s version!

Quick key takeaways

• The PAKA Women’s Mayu Jacket is the company’s first launch of an “ultralight” outerwear product—and it’s one that “packs into itself.”
• The sizing: Like other PAKA products (in the women’s line), it comes in sizes XS-XXL and I found that it ran big, even in XS.
• The feel: Barely there. It’s probably the lightest jacket I’ve owned.
• The fit: Even though I’m petite, I found it ran a bit long and the sleeves ran the longest.
• What sets it apart: the sustainability, the incredible total weight (or lack thereof), PAKA’s patented insulation fill that brings alpaca fiber into the mix.

Pros (what’s awesome about it)

Right away, let’s talk about some pros I found about this jacket that make it really great for travel.

• The total weight, which is 8.8 ounces. When you first put on this jacket, it barely weighs anything at all. It makes it hard to believe that it can even keep you warm.
• The zippered side pockets. These are actually hard to come by on lots of women’s jackets, despite how crucial and useful they are. PAKA makes good zippers, and if I’m biking, hiking or even just running through an airport, I don’t have time for worrying about pockets that don’t zipper.
• Packing itself into, well, itself. This sets it apart from other ultralight down jackets I’ve had that come with separate bags to “pack into.” With packing itself right into the chest pocket, I won’t ever lose a separate bag.
• Windproof-ability: This was one of the things I noticed, as I wore it outside on a windy day. I noticed it even more than the warmth factor. For me, being wind-proofed is key when I travel.
• The “PAKAfill,” which is PAKA’s patented insulation and what they claim to be the warmest “ethical” insulation around. It’s made with alpaca fiber, and no goose down.
• PAKA claims it has the highest “warmth-to-weight” ratio of any competitor jacket, meaning that for a size this small in total weight, it’ll be the warmest.

Cons (what I think you should know)

• The fit: I found the XS to run big, even with layering underneath. I mostly found that the arms run long, the hip length ran long and the shoulders were big. I know it is sized accordingly so that you can wear something bulky underneath.
• Warmth: I’ll be honest in that this is not a heavy jacket that can be worn in heavy-duty temperatures. PAKA claims that you can wear this jacket down to 30 F, and that just won’t be happening for me.
• Price: Compared to the other ultralight down jackets from other leading brands (I compare a few top picks below in this review), the price actually comes out similarly. But if you’re on a budget, and if you search harder (and you don’t have to), you’ll see that REI Co-Op has a packable down jacket for half the price.
• Hood: It doesn’t have a hood.

Fit and sizing

In short (and that’s funny because I am short), I found that the XS ran big. I’ll describe why.

• The arms: I found they ran long. Arms being long is fine, especially if I have on a layer underneath that’ll cause them to bunch up, but I still found them long.
• The hips and length: I found this to be too long as well, even with layers underneath. Given, I am petite (I have to mention this carefully in all my apparel and jacket reviews). So if you’re taller than 5’4” you’ll have much less issue.
• The shoulders: Yes, I found that the shoulders ran wide as well. Even in XS (the smallest size available) and even though I typically wear a true-to-size XS, I found that the shoulders ran big. You can see this in my photos.

The Women’s Mayu Jacket comes in six sizes, XS through XXL. I find this to be usually a fair set of sizes offered by PAKA, which at the end of the day is not a massive brand like Patagonia, Cotopaxi or REI. So while they don’t make an XXS in this jacket, I’m not complaining, because that would probably be too small. I’m in between sizes and that’s just that.

I wanted to detail it for you to help you out with getting your size right in the Mayu jacket.

None of this is a negative against the jacket, because if you’re wearing it on you (not me), you will likely find much more luck in all these dimensions.

I would not recommend the Mayu jacket for petite women like me who typically wear an XS or smaller. I also can’t recommend it if you need size 2X or bigger. I think I’d probably refer you to size XXS or 3X-4X at one of my favorite brands that makes this size, Cotopaxi, for the Capa Insulated Jacket.

Benefits

This tiny yet supercharged jacket really has a lot going for it. The more research I did, I found that other upscale travel brands and lifestyle brands are putting a similar price tag on a high-quality sustainably-made insulated puffer jacket that also has a packability benefit.

The most impressive aspect of this jacket is going to be the PAKAfill, which has “traceable” alpaca fiber material, just like PAKA’s other garments, which have always been long-lasting (and warm!) in my experience.

The makeup of the PAKAfill insulation prevents “wilt” (like goose down) and deadness in jacket insulation when it comes into contact with rain, sleet or snow. So, it stays warmer than other jackets.

It also has half the volume (space it takes up) when compared to goose down feathers as insulation, because of its unique air pockets. There’s more ventilation this way.

So, there you have it, the benefits of what’s inside this jacket, plus how small it packs down. It can literally fit in my purse, or a tote bag, or the back pocket of our kids’ child hiking carrier. It can come in my personal item when I fly, and I can pop it out if the plane gets cold (and it always does).

Who it’s for

This jacket is for women who want to pack light.

It’s also for women travelers who want to be prepared for a change in temperature, or weather.

Actually, my best use case of this jacket is if I’m going on a warm-weather trip, but I know there is a chance that nights could get cold, chilly or windy. I pack the bulk of my clothes to be appropriate for daytime (tees, shorts, maybe one pair of pants only) and in case things go downhill into chillier evenings, I have a tiny packed-up ultralight down jacket ready to take out of my backpack and put on.

I can even go out for the evening with it, compressed into its square, with it at the bottom of my daypack or tote bag.

Aside from it being for you, it makes an awesome gift for moms who love to travel (like me), because we’re always short on space and at the same time, we have to be prepared for anything a trip throws at us. It is also an amazing eco-friendly travel gift if you wanted to surprise someone with a unique travel layer that’ll get loads of use.

Why you might want it

As someone who has focused on how to sustainably travel for years, I fall into the category of who would want this jacket (hello, it’s me!). You also might want the Women’s Mayu Jacket if:

• You’re already a big fan of the PAKA brand, and if you’ve had nice luck with their travel sweaters or other outerwear like the parka for women. Have you seen my reviews of the Women’s Hoodie or Mountain Crew? This is why!
• If you want to try the world’s lightest packable down jacket. I don’t think they come lighter than 8.8 ounces like the Mayu does.
• If you’re into the promises made by PAKA about PAKAfill, which can’t be found anywhere else. And if you want to avoid both goose down as well as a 100% polyester fill, which is pretty run of the mill for packable down jackets.
• If you like the look of how small it is when compressed. If you think this is good for your travel pack, and if you pack light.

Why you might not want it (and critique)

• If you want a more cropped style, as the Mayu jacket certainly hits the hip in the fit.
• If you need something smaller than an XS or larger than a XXL.
• If the price is prohibitive; there definitely are cheaper (and quality) options from competitors and from other trusted travel retailers, but of course, they’re not sporting PAKA’s technology or sustainability, which are both unique.
• If you want a heavier puffer, this jacket is not for you. But if you want the packability, consider your priorities.
• If you need a jacket with a hood, you’ll have to shop elsewhere because the Mayu does not have a hood.

My critique is that PAKA claims it can be worn down to temperatures of 30 F. This is really cold. It’s just not something I agree with for myself, as someone who runs cold once I step outside in any temperature less than 55 degrees. I wouldn’t wear this jacket below 40 degrees (while bundled up excessively with gloves and a hat), despite what PAKA’s testing has shown in results.

Why I got it and comparisons to others

I decided to try the Women’s Mayu Jacket in XS, in black. I was open to trying it because I like the idea of a jacket that packs up so small, especially given that PAKA’s Mayu jacket is lighter than any other packable ultralight down jacket on the market.

I have tried a few other ultralight down jackets, and I originally got into the convenience of them when I went to Bolivia, over a decade ago. I picked up my first packable ultralight down jacket on a friend’s recommendation from a Uniqlo location in NYC. As you know, Uniqlo is fast fashion so I don’t shop there anymore, and all my travel gear is now from leading brands in the travel sector.

Comparison to the Patagonia Women’s Nano Puff Jacket

Dan and I both really like Patagonia products, from the jackets to the duffel bags and backpacks for travel gear. The Patagonia Nano Puff is probably the closest comparison to the Mayu Jacket, but there is a key difference. The Nano Puff has a “100% postconsumer recycled polyester” insulation fill, while the PAKAfill contains 50% traceable alpaca fiber.

The Nano Puff also stays warm when wet. It weighs 10.9 ounces, compared to the 8.8 ounces of the Mayu.

Comparison to the lululemon Pack It Down Jacket

The Mayu Jacket from PAKA is comparable to the lululemon packable down jacket, but the difference is that the LLL jacket is filled with goose down. In fact, so many jackets are, because historically, goose down is a prized jacket fill for warmth.

While it’s actually more expensive than the Mayu jacket, it does come in a few more sizes (eight in total) and it has a removable hood, which is super nice.

As PAKA will note, being stranded on a mountain in a jacket made of goose down will actually leave you freezing, if it’s cold outside, while the PAKAfill insulation of the Mayu packable jacket will keep you WARM when wet, according to the product page.

Comparison to Jack Wolfskin’s Packable Jacket

I got an ultralight Jack Wolfskin Packable down jacket (reviewed here!) and the difference between this one and the PAKA Mayu jacket is that it does not pack into itself; it packs into a separate drawstring bag that it comes with.

If I ever lose the bag, I lose the compressibility of this jacket. So, I think PAKA’s version is a step smarter, and shows me the need for “self-packability.” Plus, Jack Wolfskin, although it’s a leading travel brand, no longer sells in the US.

Where to get it

Right now, PAKA Apparel products, as I describe in my PAKA Apparel brand review, are only sold and available at the PAKA Apparel website.